Receiving and Storage Checklist

Pull the open PO in the ERP (NetSuite, Epicor, Dynamics 365 BC) and match line by line: part number, revision, quantity, unit of measure. Flag any over-shipment, partial, or substitution before signing the carrier's BOL — once you sign clean, freight claims get harder.

Walk each pallet before the driver leaves. Look for crushed corners, water damage, broken bands, leaning loads, leaking drums, and shock-watch indicators. Photograph any damage and note it on the BOL with the driver's signature — not after the truck pulls away.

Open the claim with the carrier within their stated window (usually 5-9 days for concealed damage, immediate for visible). Notify the buyer and quarantine the affected material in the receiving hold area until disposition.

Count or weigh per the unit of measure on the PO. Bulk hardware is typically piece-weighed; raw bar stock is verified by length and count. Note short-ships immediately so the buyer can expedite or back-order.

For traceable material (aerospace, medical, pressure vessel, food-contact), record the heat number, lot, and supplier cert number against the receipt line. Missing traceability at receiving is one of the top AS9100 and ISO 13485 audit findings — capture it now, not later.

For raw material, attach the mill test report (MTR / 3.1 cert per EN 10204). For finished components, attach the Certificate of Conformance. No cert = no put-away; route to the Quality hold cage.

Adhesives, sealants, resins, gaskets, and chemicals carry a manufacture date and shelf-life window. Reject any lot with less than the contractual minimum remaining life — once it's in stock, you own the scrap risk.

Look up the supplier's risk tier on the AVL. New supplier or first article = 100% inspection. Approved supplier = ANSI Z1.4 sample at the AQL on the inspection sheet. Skip-lot (dock-to-stock) suppliers = visual only. Don't default to skip-lot for a 'trusted supplier' without the data to back it.

Measure the critical and major characteristics called out on the inspection sheet using calibrated calipers, mics, gauges, or CMM. Confirm the gauge calibration is current — past-due gauges void the inspection.

Use the XRF gun to confirm alloy grade on stainless, nickel, titanium, and any pressure-rated material. Mixing 304 with 316, or carbon with stainless, is a service-failure-and-injury level mistake. Record the grade against the heat number.

Tag the lot with a red NCR tag, move it to the MRB (Material Review Board) cage, and open the NCR in the QMS with the supplier, PO, lot, and defect detail. Notify the buyer to start the supplier corrective action — don't let the parts un-segregate while the NCR sits in queue.

Pull the bin assignment from the WMS. Verify the location is empty (or holds the same part/lot for FIFO consolidation), the rack label matches the system, and the rack is undamaged. Mis-stored material at receipt becomes phantom inventory at cycle count.

For ESD-sensitive electronics, MSL-rated semiconductors, refrigerated adhesives, or controlled-humidity stock, log the chamber readings against the spec on the storage tag. Out-of-range readings get the lot held and flagged to engineering for reclassification.

Confirm an SDS is in the binder before put-away (HazCom 2012 / 1910.1200). Segregate by compatibility — oxidizers away from flammables, acids away from bases. Stage drums in secondary containment per SPCC. New chemicals trigger HazCom training before any operator handles them.

Post the receipt against the PO line with the actual quantity, lot, and bin location. Receipts entered late or in bulk at end-of-shift are the root cause of stockout false-positives when the floor goes to pull.

Print the receiving label (part, rev, lot, qty, bin, receipt date) and apply to each container. The label is what links the physical material to the system record at every downstream pull.

Forklift operator must hold a current 1910.178 certification for the equipment type used (counterbalance, reach, order picker — each is a separate certification). Confirm FIFO placement so older lots pull first.

Trigger the receipt notification so MRP picks up the new on-hand and the planner can release any work orders waiting on the material. For expedited or hot shipments, message the planner directly — don't rely on the nightly MRP run.